Introduction

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My Brief Bio

I have always wanted to work children from as long as I remember. When I was in middle school I considered being a pediatrician. I have since then changed my mind to become an elementary school teacher. I have always loved children; their energy and love for exploring new ideas make me want to assist then in doing so. Although my first interest was to become a pediatrician, I discovered later that a new class was available to me in the 10th grade called, “Child Development 1”, I enrolled in the class. And I took Child Development 2. During the course of these two courses I worked with children a total of 90 hours with both the children in the Child Development 1 class ages 4-5 and the 2 grade children at Seabrook Elementary School, a requirement to graduate out of the Child Development program. My senior year I enrolled in Child Development 3 which required me to be in a classroom setting for 3 full school days out of a week from December 2006 until April 2006. I continued my teaching experience at Seabrook Elementary because one the teachers there recommended that I come back and work her and her 2nd grade class again. Immediately following graduating from Duval High School I started working at The Kid’s Place, a summer camp located in Lanham, MD. There I conducted reading activities in the child care program for children ages 5-12 and worked with other staff members to plan activities, worked closely with small groups, and was responsible for monitoring the behavior of a group of 17 students to ensure they followed the rules and regulations of the center. I worked there from May 2006 until I attended college in August 2006.

My first college choice was McDaniel College. The college is located in Westminster, MD. My second my year I spent 2 to 2.5 hours, twice a week in a school-based internship at Eldersburg Elementary in Sykesville, Maryland during my 2008 spring semester at McDaniel College, a requirement for completing my practicum field experience EDUC 2115. At Eldersburg I fulfilled the following requirements: perform reading records, work closely with small reading groups, record attendance, facilitate oral group discussions, teach a lesson (anatomy and types of seeds and their growth), and dress and redesign classroom bulletin boards. I chose to transfer to Bowie State University in fall of 2008. My spring semester of 2009 I enrolled in EDUC 101. My practicum field experience requirements included: tutoring small groups of pupils, checking assignments, securing and operating multimedia, accompanying pupils to special classes, preparing bulletin boards and teaching materials, and assisting with classroom activities for 9 full school days. I am currently enrolled in EDUC 201 where I am in the process of completing my practicum 2 field experience which includes: tutoring the assigned pupil (case study) on each field day, observing the assigned pupil in the classroom and in informal settings, grading papers, teaching small group lessons, accompanying pupils to special classes, and assisting with other classroom activities designated by the pre-service mentor for 9 full school days.

I joined NEA (National Education Association) in September of 2007. I was informed about this organization through MSTA (Maryland Student Teacher Association) on McDaniel’s campus. I became a member of MSTA in September 2006. My campus’ MSTA chapter hosted book readings for neighborhood children. I participated in 2 out of 3 booking reading sessions during spring semester 2007. I hosted six sessions at the MSTA Convention Professional Development Workshop Series at Ocean City on October 19 and 20, 2007. In addition, I participated in the NEA student Leadership Conference on June 26-29 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel. I was there representing Bowie State University Education Club. During spring semester 2008 I pledged Gamma Sigma Sigma, Tau class, and was rewarded “pledge member with the most community service hours” (17). Gamma Sigma Sigma is a national service sorority. Since being admitted in to Bowie State University in 2008 I have joined Education Club in fall 2008 and Alpha Phi in fall 2009 and been on the Dean List for two consecutive semesters. I graduate May 201 from Bowie State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education.

My Educational Philosophy
My classroom will be a caring, safe, and fair environment where each child can blossom and grow. In showing children how to become responsible for themselves as well as their own learning, I am giving them the tools to become successful in life, to believe in themselves, and to love themselves.The teacher's role is to guide, providing access to information rather than acting as the primary source of information, the students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions. In order for students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in real situations. I will provide students access to hands-on activities and by allowing adequate time and space to use materials that reinforce the lesson being studied creates an opportunity for individual discovery and construction of knowledge to occur.

Teaching is a lifelong learning process of learning about new philosophies and new strategies, learning from the parents and community, learning from colleagues, and especially learning from the children. Children have taught me to open my mind and my heart to the joys, the innocence, and the diversity of ideas in the world. For myself, teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them. I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals who are excited about working with children. In our competitive society it is important for students to not only receive a solid education, but to work with someone who is aware of and sensitive to their individual needs. I am such a person and I will always strive to be the best educator that I can be.

As an educator I will be involved in classroom instruction, grading papers, taking attendance, planning lesson plans around activities, readings and projects that will not only teach, but also engage. Without engagement, students are not likely to have a positive learning experience. As an educator I will modify instructional methods by using a wide range of teaching styles for the academic achievement of all my students. I will seek the need to self-motive my students learning skills; explore their academic, cultural, and social needs, which make these central to the classroom experience. I will make sure that every child is involved and no child is left behind.